miller



( No Model.)

3 Sh eets-Sheet 1.

Patented Oct. 31,1893.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. E. MILLER. ELBGTRIG TRAIN AND SWITCH SIGNAL DEVICE.

No. 507,918. Patented Oct. 31,1893.

I 'JE LUK (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.-.

' G. E. MILLER.

ELECTRIC TRAIN AND SWITCH SIGNAL DEVICE. No. 507,918.

Patented Oct. 31, 1893.

I E I w 3 m ETORW E 5 A is v i1 i? H E a rm v m V k k v 5;

WIN-E155 EET.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. MILLER, OF SAUGIIS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANELECTRIC TRAIN AND SWITCH SIGNAL COMPANY, OF

PORTLAND, MAINE.

ELECTRIC TRAIN AND SWITCH SIGNAL DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,918, dated October31, 1893.

Application filed May 24., 1893.

T0 00% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Saugus, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in ElectricTrain and Switch Signal Devices, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in' electric train and switchsignaling devices and it has for its object to automatically give asignal to the engineer or other person in charge of a locomotive in casea switch should be wrongly set or one train should approach another tooclose in either direction and it is carried out as follows, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents aplan View of the track and a switch device thereon partly shown insection. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of said track showing alocomotive thereon equipped with my improved electric danger signalingapparatus. Fig. 3 represents a crosssection of the track showing thebrush or sweeper in contact with the metallic conductors arranged midwaybetween the rails. Fig. 4 represents a cross-section of the switch standon theline 44 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents an interior view of thecab of the engine showing the circuit of the signaling device closed.Fig. 6 represents a similar View showing the circuit open; and Fig. 7represents a diagram of the invention showing two trains and electricalconnections between the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on thedifferent parts of the drawings.

A, A, represent the rails and B, B, the sleepers or ties of a railroadtrack as usual. The rail ends are metallically connected, preferably bymeans of wires a, a, as is common in devices of this kind.

About midway between the rails A, A, are located the longitudinalmetallic conductors C, C, preferably made in the form of flat barsarranged side by side with a space C between them as shown in Figs. 1and 3 and preferably secured to a longitudinal wooden Serial No.475,320, (No model.)

rail D and fastened to the sleepers B, B, as

shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the metallic conductors C, C, is alternately broken at C", C",that is the break on one conductor is arranged about midway between thebreak on the other conductor as shown in Fig. 1, and such breaks on eachof the said conductors may be arranged about a mile or so apartaccording to the distance at which the danger signal is to be sounded asfully shown and described in the United States Letters Patent No.464,979, dated December 15, 1891.

E in Fig. 2 represents a locomotive or driving engine and E representsthe cab thereof as usual, said cab being also shown in Figs.

5 and 6.

In Fig. 7 the letters E, E, are also made to represent a pair of engineson the same track between which the electric signaling device is to beestablished. I

Each locomotive or train is provided with a sweeper held at all timespreferably by a yielding pressure in metallic connection with both ofthe metallic conductors C, C. In practice I prefer to make such sweeperin the form of a loosely journaled brush wheel F the metallic bristlesof which are held in metallic contact with the conductors C, C, and forthis purpose I prefer to secure the hub of said brush to a spindle fjournaled in spring pressed bearings g, g, which are verticallyadjustable in brackets G, G, secured in an insulated manner preferablyto the locomotive; the said brush is held in contact with the conductorsC, C, preferably by means of springs g, g, in a manner similar to thatshown and described in my above mentioned patent.

In each cab E is located a battery or current generator H one pole ofwhich is'connected by means of a ground wire I to the rails A, A,through the wheels and metal frame work of the locomotive.

K is the bell alarm or other sound or visual signal one binder post ofwhich is connected by means of a wire into the other pole of the batteryor current generator; from the other binder post of said alarm or signalK leads a wire L to a metallic switch button Z which is adapted to beelectrically connected by means of a switch lever M to the wire N andbrush or sweeper F as fully shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

On the wire I is a switch button 1' to which the switch lever M may beconnected as shown in Fig. 6 for the purpose of cutting the battery orcurrent generator and alarm out of the circuit when the locomotive isstalled or not in use so as to prevent the ringing of the alarm at suchtime.

When the train is running the engineer closes the circuit by placing thelever M in the position shown in Figs. 2, 5 and right hand end of Fig.7, by which an alarm will automatically be sounded or shown in his cabas soon as the brush or sweeper F of his engine is by means of one ofthemiddle conductors C metallically connected to the brush or sweeper ofanother engine in front or rear, 1

even if the current through the battery or generator on such otherengine should be open as shown in the left hand end of Fig. 7. By makingthe alternate breaks in the middle conductors O, O, a mile or more orless apart it will be seen that an alarm will be given in the enginewhere the circuit is closed through the battery or generator wheneversuch engine comes Within a distance of another engine equal to thelength of a middle conductor 0 thus automatically giving notice to theengineer that he is too near another train.

If the circuit on two engines are both closed through the battery orgenerator an alarm will automatically be given to both engineers whentheir trains are on the same middle conductor.

In Figs. 1 and 4, 0 represents a switch stand of any well knownconstruction secured to one side of the track as usual. In said stand isjournaled the crank shaft P which is positively connected by means of alink 12 to the pivoted switch points Q, Q, as is common in railroadswitch devices. The metal stand 0 is metallically'connected to the railsA, A, by means of wires R, R, as shown in Fig. 1. To the stand 0 issecured in an insulated manner a yielding spring electrode S which ismetallically connected to the mid-. dle conductors O by means of wiresT, T, as shown in Fig. 1. 011 the switch shaft P is secured a metal camarm or projection P which is brought in metallic contact with theinsulated spring electrode S when the switch Q, Q, is left open as shownin Fig. 1. When the switch Q, Q, is closed the projection P on the crankaxleP is disengaged from the yielding electrode S thus breaking thecircuit between the rails A, A, and the insulated middle conductors G,C, and when said switch is thus kept closed and the main track open nosignal is given to the engineer and he therefore knows the track is allright. If on the other hand the switch is open as shown in Fig. 1 and atrain approaches within the dis tance of the length of one of theconductors G, the alarm-or signal on the train will be in a closedcircuit passing from the conductors G to and through said signal to theground thus automaticallyindicating to the engineer or man in chargeeither that the switch is open or that a train is near, in either caseof which the engineer has time to stop the train and avoid accidents.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation ofmy invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim- 1. Theherein described electric train-signaling mechanism, consisting of theinsulated alternately broken conductor rails C, G, the battery I-Icarried on the train, a ground wire I connected to one pole of thebattery and provided with a switch-button 2', the alarm or signal Kconnected with the other pole of the battery by a wire it, the wire Lconnected to the signal and provided with contact button Z, the brush orsweeper F held in contact with the conductor rails C, G, the wire Nconnected with the brush, and the switch M intermediate the wires L, N,and adapted to make and break contact with the switch-button t' and Z,

substantially as described.

2. The herein described electric train, and switch signaling mechanism,consisting of the insulated alternately broken conductor rails G O, theswitch stand 0 having a crankshaft P connected with the switch rails,wires R R connecting the switch stand with the main track rails, aninsulated spring electrode S mounted in the switch stand and connectedby wires T T to the conductors C C, an arm P carried on the crank shaftP and adapted to be brought in contact with the electrode S when theswitch rails Q Q are open, a ground ed battery or current generator l-Icarried on the train, the brush or sweeper F in contact with theconductor rails O C and adapted to be electrically connected with thebattery, the alarm or signal K, and the switch M, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 22d day of May, A. D.1893.

GEORGE E. MILLER.

Witnesses:

ALBAN ANDREN, LAt'nnTz N. MoLLnR.

